I always start reminiscing about the back to school days during this time of year. Shopping for back to school outfits, the school supplies (I still LOVE a good planner), the football, the anticipation for Fall… I just love it all! Growing up, my parents would give my sister and I an allotted amount of money on our debit cards, and we would learn to prioritize what we actually wanted to buy. (Shopping is a lot different when it feels a little bit more like “your” money.) We would shop all of our favorite stores together… Abercrombie & Hollister, anyone? Lol!

Once we were home I would lay out everything I purchased and begin to create my back to school outfits. The most important outfit was always the first day of school! In fact, I can still remember many of my first-day-of-school-outfits. (I can’t remember what happens in movies I watch for the life of me, but somehow I know exactly what I was wearing in any situation!) After a while, those perfectly laid out outfits and simple mornings turned into your typical girl getting ready for school: a pile of clothes on the ground and “nothing to wear.”

I think it’s safe to say we’ve all had those “nothing to wear” moments, whether you’re working on back to school outfits, work outfits, or something for date night. These two tips will simplify that problem just a little bit:

1.Only buy something if you can picture 2 different ways to wear it -without too much thought.

Take this top for example, It can easily be paired with multiple skirts in my closet (my denim skirt, maxi skirts, and this adorable striped ruffle skirt.) It also looks great with high waisted jeans! I am all about versatility and quality over quantity these days. I would rather have less things that go with more, rather than items that will rarely be worn.

back to school outfits

2. Shop for Full Outfits

Shopping for full outfits can make all the difference! Sure, I still buy individual pieces here and there, but sometimes shopping for an entire outfit can be a total game changer. This is especially useful if you prefer more unique pieces that don’t match a ton of different items in your closet. Let’s take this embroidered skirt, for example. I knew I had to have it, but I also knew I needed to find a top that worked perfectly with it or it would just sit in my closet. It is so nice to have those “grab n go” outfits on hand when you’re in a hurry, or even packing for a trip.

Here’s to creating fun “back to school outfits”, whether you’re still in school or you’re far beyond your schooling years!